Trump Reaffirms US–Iran Ceasefire After Renewed Fighting in Strait of Hormuz

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1549 EAT on Friday 8 May 2026

The United States said Iran launched missiles, drones and small boats targeting three of its warships in what it described as an “unprovoked attack”, with President Donald Trump stating that Iran had “trifled with us today”.

Iran’s top military command rejected the claims, alleging instead that US forces struck an Iranian oil tanker and another vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz, and carried out aerial attacks on several coastal locations.

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in tensions, coming just a day after Iran’s foreign ministry said it was reviewing a US proposal aimed at ending the war.

The fragile ceasefire showed further strain early on Friday after the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defence said its air defences were “actively engaging” a missile and drone attack originating from Iran.

Iranian state media reported “explosions” in the Strait of Hormuz, describing the situation as an “exchange of fire” with the “enemy”, while residents also reported hearing blasts in Tehran.

Shortly thereafter, Iran’s top military command said US “aerial attacks” had struck coastal targets in Bandar Khamir, Sirik and Qeshm Island.

It said Iranian forces responded immediately by striking US naval vessels, claiming to have inflicted “significant damage”, and accused Washington of breaching the ceasefire agreement.

The US Central Command (Centcom) described the Iranian attacks as “unprovoked”, saying Iranian forces launched “multiple missiles, drones and small boats” as US Navy guided-missile destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz.

Centcom said it “eliminated inbound threats” and carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities it said were responsible for attacks on US forces, including missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control centres, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance nodes.

“Centcom does not seek escalation but remains positioned and ready to protect American forces,” the statement added.
Posting on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump said American forces had destroyed multiple small boats, missiles and drones, adding that “great damage” had been inflicted on the Iranian attackers.

He also reiterated a warning over the peace process, saying: “Just like we knocked them out again today, we’ll knock them out a lot harder, and a lot more violently, in the future, if they don’t get their Deal signed, FAST!”
An Israeli source told the BBC there was “no Israeli involvement” in the latest strikes.

The escalation comes despite Trump’s recent assertions that the war in Iran would be “over quickly”.

US outlet Axios reported that the White House believes it is close to a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran, which could form the basis for more detailed nuclear negotiations.

On Wednesday, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the latest US proposal was under review and that Tehran would submit its response through Pakistani mediators.

Pakistan’s foreign minister said Islamabad was “endeavouring to convert this ceasefire into a permanent end to this war”.

However, a senior member of Iran’s parliament dismissed the proposed 14-point framework as a “wish list”.

The spokesperson of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, Ebrahim Rezaei, wrote on X that Iran “has its finger on the trigger”, warning that it would “deliver a harsh and regret-inducing response” if the United States did not “surrender and grant necessary conditions”.

Both Washington and Tehran have issued repeated warnings of further escalation if their respective conditions for a peace deal are not met.

In a post on Truth Social on 6 May, US President Donald Trump said that if Iran failed to agree to a deal, “the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before”.

Trump has previously said Operation Epic Fury — the initial US-Israeli offensive in Iran — would end “assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to”. Prior to that statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the operation had concluded and achieved its objectives.

The US president has also repeatedly claimed that Iran agreed to never develop a nuclear weapon “among other things” — a claim not confirmed by Tehran. Iran’s nuclear programme remains one of the central sticking points in negotiations between the two sides.

-BBC

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